The Birthday and a Snake Story

Yesterday found us at a birthday party for Grandson Brandon. I forgot my camera so there aren't any pictures to share. The above picture is when I first met Brandon. He was just 7 yrs old and now he's 15 and ready to start learning to drive a car. How time flies. He used to love opening presents in big packages, but now, a teenager, he has a stack of envelopes in front of him. The picture is taken the first time I had Joe's family for turkey dinner. I was so nervous and the kitchen was so hot...as my Mom would say "I was sweatin' bullets." Everything was on platters and out on the counter and on the table. Just at the moment that I was going to call everyone for dinner...someone said "snake!" Everyone ran outside and found that a snake was crawling up the spruce tree to get into a dove's nest. The whole family scattered. Brandon's dad drove home (just a couple of streets over) to get the gun. The rest of the boys were to keep watch till he got back. Everyone was anticipating the big kill. Grandpa got the tree lopper and someone else got the ice chopper. When Dad got back with the gun...the snake was out of the tree and was on the ground.....dead. I won't tell you the gory details, but believe me it was dead. I was sorry for the snake. I'm really a nature lover and would have liked to just let it be, but I guess when danger lurks.....man's first thought is to protect his family :) The snake was dead and Brandon carried it to the woods. He felt like a big person...Let's see..... a family of men against 1 snake... The dinner was forgotten and cold. I warmed everything up and we all enjoyed the meal. All the men were talking about the "hunt" and Brandon was part of it all.

Balisha